The Southington Education Foundation’s fifth annual Fan of the Foundation Gala on Friday, Oct. 25, was another winning night for the Southington Public School district as nearly $30,000 was garnered in proceeds.
With a theme of “Tailgate at the Turf!” the evening featured spirited fun on several levels – attendees dressed in their favorite sports apparel and dined on tailgate-style appetizers and entrees. New this year was the STEM University Lounge, a dorm-style reclining area replete with a pinball game and photographer Jonathan Cop on hand taking photos of Fan guests!
Pinball wizards tried their luck on the Star Trek pinball game in order to win highest score, which long-time SEF supporter and local business owner Charlie Cocuzza managed to do. In second place was our own Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Erardi.
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The evening also featured a live auction emceed by NBC Connecticut newscaster Todd Piro. From an electric guitar to artwork created by our Southington High School art students, Todd masterfully danced around the audience upping the ante and securing top dollar for each item.
The silent auction brought its own brand of fun because of the unique items up for bid. Quite popular was the Graduation 2014 exclusive seating opportunity, which had parents of Southington High School seniors hovering nearby to ensure that they had the winning bid.
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All proceeds from the Fan of the Foundation Gala are distributed via grant to the district’s classrooms. The SEF to date has awarded nearly $100,000 to fund enriching initiatives that enhance educational opportunities and promote lifelong learning. In addition, the SEF has embarked on a long-term commitment to advancing STEM education in Southington’s K-12 schools. Integrating the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics into cross-curriculum studies is essential for our 21st century students.
The SEF will soon launch the Virtual STEM University, an instructional resource for educators, and has already initiated a STEM Recognition Program and the district-wide fourth-grade STEM initiative at Camp Sloper, now in its third year.
For more information, visit www.SouthingtonEducationFoundation.org or the SEF Facebook page.
